


Spark

by NovemberNights



Series: Eyepatch Keith AU [5]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: (temporary), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Battle, Black Paladin Keith (Voltron), Blade of Marmora Keith (Voltron), Blood, Blood and Injury, But today is not that day, Death, Do worry about that one ;), Eyepatch Keith, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Galra Keith (Voltron), Hehehe, Hurt, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Injury, It's The Beginning, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Keith has a body count :3, Major Character Injury, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death, Pre-Relationship, Red Paladin Allura (Voltron), Violence, War, anyway, but different from my usual formula this time, but pre-eyepatch, don't worry i'm just covering my bases for some mooks, explosions mentioned, gunfire. laser gunfire. all that jazz. 'tis war, however, i guess?? i'm not leaving you with your hearts wrenched out at least, i promise i'll write something cute for this au one day, i've rewritten these tags like three times now, my specialty is pain, rubs hands together, shiro is not a clone though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:33:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24169648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NovemberNights/pseuds/NovemberNights
Summary: A lot happens when you spend two years in space.For Keith and Pidge, that means a lot more than fighting an intergalactic war.It means growth. And loss. And discovery.And maybe even love.Takes place over the course of the first 2 years and some odd months of my Eyepatch AU. This is the beginning of it all. Can be read out of order/independently!
Relationships: Keith & Pidge | Katie Holt, Keith/Pidge (Voltron), Keith/Pidge | Katie Holt
Series: Eyepatch Keith AU [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1390522
Comments: 2
Kudos: 46





	Spark

**Author's Note:**

> HELLO LOVELIES,
> 
> It's been almost a full year since I posted the first installation of the Eyepatch Keith AU (The Scars Say I Love You), and that first fic has reached over 1000 hits in that time. I'm amazed at the support this AU has gotten and I love hearing from you all!
> 
> I do wish I'd been able to write/post more over the past few months, but school had me in a vice grip so I decided to leave the AU til this summer when I could tackle it with full force and write it the way it deserves. Hope you enjoy!!!
> 
> A small note: The numbers before some sections are timestamps, and denote when they take place on the fic's timeline (which stretches 10 years). The first digit is the year, the second digit is the month. So 0.11 would be 11 months in space, 1.4 would a year + four months in space (bc one year has already passed), and so on. If a section doesn't have a timestamp, it takes place in the same month as the most recent time stamp, though it may not be at _exactly_ the same time.

0.1

Pidge nearly tears her headphones off with excitement. Never have the radio signals been this active. Neither has she seen an alien spacecraft crash-land on Earth before. Stuffing her tech into her bag, she hoists it over her shoulder before taking off at a run, putting the Garrison compound behind her. If Hunk and Lance follow her, that’s their decision. Something’s happening, and she isn’t going to wait around for the Garrison to cover it up.

***

Throwing his leg over the side of his hover bike, Keith isn’t sure why he bothers waiting for the rag-tag group of Garrison students to clamber onboard with Shiro’s unconscious form. Sure, it’s convenient to have another pair of hands to carry him with, but he has no reason to keep them around, and he certainly has no intention of giving them a ride back. Not his problem.

***

0.2

“You do _not_ yell at the princess!” Coran scolds, glaring down at the Green Paladin.

Pidge scowls, throwing a petulant look at the Altean princess sitting at the head of the table. “The princess of _what?_ We’re the only ones here and you’re no princess of ours,” she spits back, earning herself a spoonful of green goo to the face from the princess in question. Allura looks as if she’s just stepped in something unpleasant. Pidge groans as the goo slides off her face, cold and slimy.

Beside her, Keith jumps to his feet, pulling her up by the cuffs linking their wrists together while yelling _“Go loose Pidge!”_ as he launches a plate of the green goo back at Allura.

Pidge can’t help but grin with mad delight.

***

0.4

Leaving? Pidge can’t be _leaving._ They’re a team. They have a duty to uphold, they’re _needed._ What about that is so hard to understand?

Keith frowns, taking a step toward the Green Paladin, “You can’t _leave_ ,” he argues, “We’re a team. The universe needs you. There are countless people out there that are dying, who need Voltron, and we can’t form Voltron without all five Paladins.”

Pidge’s brows knit, “You can’t tell me what to do! I’ve come this far, I’m not going to turn back now!”

***

0.9

A pink space caterpillar trills softly from its perch on her shoulder as Pidge bursts through a wormhole in the Green lion. Below her stretches the vast, craggy landscape of the planet where the Castleship picked up Black and Red on the scanners. Flying across the planet’s surface, she dodges the sporadic geysers erupting from below that threaten to knock her out of the sky. She huffs impatiently; it takes a while to scan the planet, not because Green is slow, but because she has to keep careful watch on the ground and her equipment. The signals given off by her teammates’ lions are weak, and Allura was unable to pinpoint their exact location.

They’d been separated by a corrupted wormhole after a run-in with Haggar and her fleet. What had initially been a well-planned assault to stop the endless supply of Robeasts had flung the Paladins across space with defunct lions, though not without achieving their intended goal. Left to her own devices in a trash nebula, Pidge soon managed to get Green operational enough to hail the Castleship. Together with the Alteans they were able to track down the remaining Paladins, and Pidge was sent to collect them. Zipping through a canyon archway, she navigates the barren surface in search of her teammates. Finally, coming up along a cliff, she spots them.

Sitting with their backs to a wall of rock, the two lions stand out amongst the greys and browns of the landscape. Their shadows stretch long into the distance from the light of the fire out in front of them, where she spots Keith and Shiro. Keith jumps to his feet when he sees the Green lion and waves to her. Pidge waves back, regardless of whether or not Keith can actually see her inside her lion, her space caterpillar companion warbling joyfully at her side.

***

0.10

Keith finds himself wandering the halls of the Castleship, unable to sleep. Most nights he tires himself out on the training deck, but tonight, he’s not feeling up to it. Planning to spend some time holed up in Red’s cockpit, he makes his way down to the hangars, and passes by Green as he crosses the room. The glow of a computer screen catches his attention. Investigation reveals Pidge, asleep at a desk with a torn-apart mechanism spread across its surface. It’s expected of her by now, and he picks his way towards her through the tools and parts on the floor. He plucks the folded blanket from its place on the back of her chair, unfurls it and drapes it over her shoulders, following the team’s silent protocol for finding Pidge sleeping in the hangars while hard at work. Until recently her focus had been solely on finding her lost family with stubborn determination, but lately she had also invested that energy into building a program to track Galran activity, and already it was proving to be tremendously helpful.

The thought dredges up a memory of the time she’d tried to leave the team, several months ago. It’s hard to imagine the team as fractured as it was back then. Now, the two of them work in smooth tandem, the arms of Voltron, its Sword and Shield. He’s glad she stayed, even if the circumstances that lead to it were less than favorable— fighting alongside her comes easy, feels natural.

Pidge stirs in her sleep, mumbling numbers to herself, and a small smile tugs at Keith’s lips. Quietly, he turns and navigates back through her workspace, finally headed to his lion.

***

1.3

Footsteps soft against the metal floors of the castleship, Pidge munches on some pseudo-popcorn from the kitchen on her way back down to the labs. She pops a piece into her mouth as she turns down the hallway by the training deck, and spots the little blue light on the access panel indicating that the room is in use.

Pidge stops by the door and taps the panel’s interface until it displays what time of the ship’s light cycle it is. Roughly a quarter past 2 a.m. Not terribly late by her standards, but for the others, it’s odd. She keys in.

The lights inside the training deck are considerably brighter than the lights in the hall, which are dimmed by the night cycle, and she blinks at the bright white room as her eyes adjust. Overhead, the screen below the observation deck displays a large number 8. Her eyes drift down to the floor, where Keith, clad in the dark undersuit of their armor, is locked in fierce combat with a Gladiator. Another bot lies off to the side, decapitated with a gaping hole in its middle. A host of the spherical blaster droids lay in shatters around the room.

Opting not to disturb him, Pidge sidles along the wall to a good viewing point and slides down to the floor with a mouthful of popcorn. She watches as Keith slashes and doges his way around the room, scoring hits on the Gladiator. He takes a few himself, but recovers quickly to get back into the fight. Finally his blade catches the bot in the side and he wrenches it sideways, tearing the Gladiator in two. 

“Simulation complete,” the training deck AI announces as the floor opens beneath the fallen bots to collect the debris. Keith straightens up, running a hand through his bangs as he takes a deep breath and scans the room. He freezes as his eyes land on Pidge.

“Hey,” he says, raising his hand from his head.

“Hey.”

“What brings you here?” Keith asks, docking the black bayard on his hip.

Pidge pulls herself to her feet, popcorn bowl held in the crook of her arm, “Curious to see who’s on the training deck at two in the morning,” she quips, popping a piece of popcorn into her mouth.

Keith looks away, “That’d be me.”

_At least he admits it._

“Can’t sleep?” Pidge asks, walking over. She suddenly wishes she had a water pouch with her popcorn so she could offer it to him— Keith looks like he could use one, flushed from exertion. He had the Gladiator set on level eight. Almost a year ago he was just starting level three. Allura has even noted he’s made exceptionally fast progress.

“Something like that,” Keith replies, turning to go fetch a towel from his bag in the corner. Pidge narrows her eyes and follows a few paces behind.

“Like what?”

She waits for Keith to wipe his face with the towel before he responds.

He wads up the towel in his hands, staring at it pensively, “Stuff. I don’t know, I guess… this whole Black Paladin thing… Shiro’s like the brother I never had. ‘Nd he’s gone. Again. I can’t…” his grip on the balled up towel tightens. “I can’t find him. And then I’ve got to fill his shoes. It’s hard. I don’t know if I’m doing enough, if there’s something I’m missing.”

“Well...” Pidge starts, moving toward the door. Losing Shiro was hard on all of them, but for Keith? She can’t imagine what losing someone so close to you a second time might feel like, though she’s still looking for her own family.

Pidge offers a warm smile, “While _I_ think you’re handling everything quite well, I doubt you’re going to be any more enlightened about it at two in the morning after exhausting yourself with training. Besides,” she adds, resting her popcorn bowl on one hip, “Hunk made cookies last night, and you look like you need some water, yeah?”

Keith runs a hand through his hair, “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. Let me just get cleaned up first, and I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

“Sounds like a plan!” Pidge grins, and steps through the door.

***

1.7

Standing in the hangar of the Castleship, Keith watches the retreating form of the Marmoran craft leaving after their war council meeting, a sigh sagging his shoulders. Behind him, team Voltron stands quietly expectant in the wake of Kolivan’s announcement. Keith seems hesitant to turn around.

“So, you’re leaving?” Allura asks, the first to break the silence.

Pidge fiddles with the hem of her shirt as the question on their tongues is posed to their teammate. Friend. One-time leader.

“Yes,” Keith says slowly, turning to face them. “With Shiro back, and Allura able to fly the Red lion, it… makes sense. And I— I feel like the Blades are a better fit for me. It seems like where I’m meant to be, and it’s a step closer to finding out where I come from. Who I am,” he explains, holding his Marmoran blade out for them to see.

“Keith…” Shiro starts, walking over to the younger man, opening his arms for a hug, “I’m proud of you, kiddo.” Keith sheathes his blade and returns the gesture slowly, and as if the action cut through a rope holding them back, the rest of the team rushes over to give Keith a group hug. 

“You know, I’m not leaving for another two weeks,” Keith says, squished between his friends. The group separates, offering him their well wishes regardless.

“In that case, I’m going to cook all the best foods while you’re here,” Hunk declares, “You’ll have to let me know if you want anything in particular.”

“Yeah, we don’t know when we’ll see you next so we gotta make it count,” Lance adds, “You still owe me a match on the training deck.”

“Thanks, guys,” Keith says, then blinks in surprise as he receives a punch to the shoulder from Pidge.

“That’s retaliation for when I tried to leave,” she says with a smirk. Then her expression softens, “I feel like I ought to call you a hypocrite, but… I think, the Blade… that’s where the universe needs you most. We’re really gonna miss you.”

“Pidge… thank you,” Keith smiles, “I’ll miss you guys too.”

***

1.12

“That concludes the intel sent in by our operatives in central command. Nothing too unusual, but we will continue to monitor the situation. Was there anything you wanted in particular, Princess? I could have an operative look into something if it’s within the realm of possibility,” Kolivan says.

“No, thank you, I believe that was all we needed. Pidge was keeping notes,” Allura glances over at the Green Paladin and receives a thumb’s up gesture, “so we’ll keep you updated if we notice anything else.”

From his place beside Kolivan, Keith notices the Blade leader pass a data chip to Regris, on his other side. He turns toward his teammate, discreetly arching a brow in silent question. Regris nods with equal subtlety, and Keith faces the screen again eagerly.

“In that case,” Kolivan continues, “We have something else we’d like to share with you. The Green Paladin, specifically.”

“Oh? What might that be?” Allura asks, surprised.

Keith can see Pidge look up from her notes, curiosity piqued.

“For me?” she asks, head cocked to the side.

“Yes. Regris, go ahead and send the file,” Kolivan says over his shoulder. “Pidge, you should be receiving data through our commlink shortly. We came across some intel recently that Keith recommended we send to you after he saw it,” he adds, moving to allow Keith in closer to their interface as a _ping_ is heard from Voltron’s end of the call.

Keith looks in her direction through the screen, “Pidge, open up that file, I think you’re gonna like it. We came across something that might help you find Matt.”

Watching her reaction is like watching the sun breach the horizon at dawn. As the realization hits her when she sees the data on her screen, and then looks to Keith’s face through the commlink as he confirms exactly what it is, her face lights up.

 _“No way,”_ she breathes, scrolling rapidly through the data the Blade sent her, “I can’t believe you guys were able to find him!”

“Er, well, _may_ have found him,” Keith points out. “The footage is blurry, and the data seems to be intentionally vague, but I think it’s a strong lead. Just be careful with it.”

Pidge shakes her head with a smile, “I know. Though, looking for him will have to wait a bit. Our current mission is more important; there’s millions of people that need us, here and now. But thank you,” she says, tears pricking at her eyes, “Thank you so much.”

Keith smiles, “Of course.”

***

2.2

“I’m excited to introduce you to everyone!” Pidge says with a grin, leading Matt down the ramp in Green’s mouth by the wrist. Ahead of them the Castle of Lions stretches high into the Olkarian sky, a small gathering of people standing outside the front gates, waiting for them after she’d radioed in to announce their arrival. When she left days ago, Allura had mentioned the Blade would be stopping by for a meeting soon. Looking at the group in front of the castle, it looks like they made it back in time.

“Yeah? How do you think I feel?” Matt teases, allowing himself to be led toward the Castle of Lions. 

Pidge sticks her tongue out playfully, “I think you’ll be surprised.”

Green had set them down relatively close, and it doesn’t take long for the siblings to reach the welcome party. They’re met with cheers and congratulations, and then Pidge takes to introducing everyone in turn.

“Everyone, this is my long lost, long awaited brother, Matt. He’s been hiding out on an asteroid playing hard to get, apparently,” Pidge announces, elbowing her brother in the side.

“Matt, I’d like you to meet team Voltron,” she continues, gesturing towards the two Paladins closest to them, “Lance and Hunk, the Blue and Yellow Paladins, and the team sharpshooter and chef, respectively.

“I pilot Green, and the Red Paladin is Allura, Princess of Altea—” 

A loud gasp from Matt interrupts her, “Oh my goodness, you are so _beautiful!”_ he effuses, “It is my honor to meet you, Princess—”

“And _moving on,_ ” Pidge interrupts, rolling her eyes as she grabs her brother by the collar and pulls him away from a wary-eyed Lance, “The Black Paladin is someone who you haven’t seen in a while.”

“Sh-Shiro…” Matt breathes, “You’re _alive._ ” He shifts gears, the radiant joy from meeting Allura mixing with shock and a little bit of sadness. He runs forward to give his friend a hug, “I can’t believe it. You actually survived the arena.”

“It was no small feat, but yeah, I did. Seeing you reunited with your sister makes it worth it though. We can talk more later if you’d like,” Shiro says, returning the hug.

“Aw, stop it guys, you’re gonna make me cry!” Pidge jeers, a teasing smile on her face.

Matt wheels around to face her and drapes himself over her instead, “Then I’ll cry on you, Pidge. Dearest, sweetest, baby sister of mine.”

“Augh, gross, get off!” Pidge protests, flailing her arms in an attempt to push her brother off, to the amusement of everyone else. Matt grins and relents, and Pidge brushes herself off just for show.

“Anyway,” she huffs in mock-irritation, “That’s Coran over there, he’s Allura’s advisor.

“And last but not least, the Blade of Marmora,” she swings a hand wide in reference to the four Blades present, “These four are Kolivan, the Blade leader, Regris, Antok, and the former Red _and_ Black Paladin, Keith.”

Matt’s eyes go wide and he does a double take between her and Keith in disbelief, “Wait, _Keith?”_ He looks over his shoulder, “Shiro, is this for real?” He doesn’t wait for a response before he turns back to the young Blade.

“I’m pretty real Matt. It’s good to see you again,” Keith sticks out a fist in greeting, and Matt returns the fist-bump.

“You’ve grown, kid. You don’t look like the Garrison cadet hanging off of Shiro’s arm anymore.”

“Thanks, I guess?”

Matt grins dorkily, “Don’t mention it.”

Pidge sighs through an exaggerated eye-roll, “Yes Matt, thank you for poking fun at my friend,” she prods him in the side with a finger, “Keith was also the one that recognized you in some footage the Blade found, which allowed me to find you,” she smirks.

“He did?” he asks, then turns to Keith, “You did? Keith… I,” he pauses, and quickly envelops the Blade in a hug, “thank you.”

Keith stiffens at the sudden contact, raising a hand to pat Matt’s arm, “Uh, no problem. It’s the least I could do.”

Before the boys can separate, Pidge jumps in on the hug, “If Matt’s gonna turn this into a hug fest, I might as well give you my own thank you hug. You’ve been gone and I never got to give you one.”

Trapped between the Holts, Keith gives her a soft smile, “Thanks, Pidge.”

“Oh, that reminds me!” Pidge steps away from Matt and Keith to address the group, “Everyone! Today’s a big milestone for me, I’ve finally accomplished part of what brought me here in the first place. I think, it’d be appropriate to reclaim a little of myself from before. So please, call me Katie.”

In the midst of her friends’ cheers, Matt pulls her close with an arm on her shoulder, “I’m proud of you, Katie. Keep being great.”

***

2.4

“I thought you were going on a mission soon?” Katie asks, keying into the Rebel base’s conference room.

“I was. When Matt contacted us with the report, Kolivan sent Vrek in my place. He wants me in the field if the Blade deploys for this,” Keith explains, following the Green Paladin inside the room.

A wide, long table with a screen in the middle takes up most of the space, with a number of Rebel leaders and some of the Paladins already seated around it. Matt stands at a podium, checking through his notes. As one of the Rebel forces’ leading Communications Officers, he runs mission briefings with Coalition forces on occasion. Today, it seems like they’ll be planning a coordinated attack in support of a resistance group that contacted the Rebels.

“Well, we’re glad to have you here,” Katie says, leading Keith to where Hunk and Lance are sitting and passing the time before the briefing starts with thumb wrestling.

“Oh, hey, Keith! Haven’t seen you in what, two months?” Hunk says cheerily, eyes floating up to meet him and Katie as they sit down beside him. 

Keith nods “Yeah, just about,” he confirms, as Lance takes advantage of the distraction to steal a win from Hunk.

“Ha!” Lance boasts from the other side of the Yellow Paladin, “Shouldn’t’ve let your guard down, pal!” 

“I think that counts as interference,” Hunk frowns playfully.

Lance shrugs, “A win’s a win, in my book.”

Katie rolls her eyes, “Sure it does, Lance.”

“You’re just jealous.”

“Of what? A single thumb wrestling match against the undefeated Hunk?”

“ _Excuse_ you, I’ve won _two,”_ Lance objects.

“How terrifying,” Keith deadpans, prompting a snicker from Katie.

“Nice one,” she says, bumping fists with him.

“Well that’s just rude,” Lance protests sarcastically.

“Hey guys, Shiro just came in with Allura, Coran, and Kolivan. I think the meeting’s about to start,” Hunk notes, elbowing Lance in the side to get his attention.

“I’m wounded,” Lance bemoans in quiet exaggeration.

“Oh, hush,” Katie whispers, turning her eyes to her brother as the leaders and a few stragglers take their seats. Matt powers up his presentation, and the soft chatter in the room quiets down.

“It, uh, looks like everyone’s here now, so let’s go ahead and get started,” Matt says, opening up the transcript of the transmission that prompted the meeting. “Three days ago my communications center received this transmission from the planet Puig. The gist of it is this: While Puig has been marginally under the control of the Galran Empire for quite some time, the Puigians have noted an increase in Imperial activity in their sector, and a heightened presence of Galra on Puig. They are seeing signs that this may be the build up to the Galra tightening their grip on the planet, and wish to take preemptive measures against the Galra to free their planet in full. However, the Puigians are not militarily equipped to fight off the Galra in the capacity that their presence has grown to, and has reached out to the Coalition for support.”

Matt moves to the next slide, featuring a diagram of a sector of space, “This is sector 251-G, where Puig is located,” he says, pointing to its location on the diagram. “If you know your star charts, you know that this sector could prove vital should we take our efforts into the surrounding region. At the moment, the Rebels don’t have any conflicting missions that would prevent us from taking action. With that said, I think it a prudent move to lend the full support of the Coalition to Puig, if Voltron and the Blades are also able to join the effort. Any questions on that front?”

Allura raises a hand, “Has Puig been made aware that the Coalition would expect their membership in exchange for its assistance?”

Matt nods, “They fully anticipate doing so once the situation is cleared up. Anything else?” he pauses, “No. Okay. In that case, we’ll take a vote for lending our forces in aid of Puig’s resistance efforts, and move into planning afterwards if we go that route.”

He pulls up a new screen on the interface, and activates the holo-screens at each of the seats with the poll. The podium interface beeps when all the votes are in, and Matt displays the results on screen.

“Well that makes things easy, looks like we’re predominately on board,” he comments. “In that case, let’s dive into planning. The Puigians are willing to put their forces in our hands and have provided us with details on that. I’ll activate the holoscreen and we’ll look at their maps to get a lay of the land,” he adds.

An orange hued hologram flickers to life above the table, displaying the apple-core shaped planet in 3D. On the screen below it, a map of Puig’s central region appears, with key locations annotated. Everyone’s voting interfaces blink, replacing their display with statistics on the forces involved as Matt loads the data into the map.

Holographic icons pop up across the map screen, purple for known Galra locations, green for the Puigians, and orange for the Rebel forces. Allura and Shiro begin placing the blue Voltron icons while Keith moves to discuss the Blade’s positions with Kolivan, their pieces appearing violet on the map.

“I’m activating the elevation map as well,” Matt announces, eliciting a few ooh's and ah's from the war council as a hologram rises from the map to display the planet’s topography. A number of canyons with steep, arched sides stretch across the landscape, and the coastal region resembles craggy badlands. 

Lance cracks his knuckles, “This’ll be fun to fly in,” he grins, reaching for the Blue Lion’s icon on the map.

“Yeah, I’d rather not,” Hunk comments, moving the Yellow Lion into position to fortify the Puigian defenses. “I think I’ll keep my focus on defense.”

Allura brings the Castleship over the Puigian city, “Since the Galra seem to be most active near the Western ridge, we could base our defenses around the city. The Castleship can provide support from a position overhead while protecting it at the same time. I’ll run offense in the Red Lion working outward from the city’s west side as well.”

“That’ll allow us to push the Galra back toward the ridge. From there it might be possible to back them into the canyons,” Shiro adds.

“Katie, would you be able to make stealth strikes on these artillery stations in the peaks?” Kolivan asks, highlighting a handful of crags with Galran firepower built into them. “That would allow the Blade to deploy ground forces in those regions—” 

“And infiltrate the base along the Western ridge?” Katie guesses, following along.

“Yes.”

“I’ve got you covered,” Katie grins, sliding the Green Lion across the map. “I can take them out when the Lions launch from the Castleship, then lay down some cover fire on my way to the Northern edge of the city.”

Keith positions a pair of Blade units on either side of the Western ridge, and another set in the badlands, “Great. The Northern edge will need protection when reinforcements inevitably arrive— the airspace will be most open there. We can place Blades on the ground to help counter dropships.”

“We’re lucky that the Southern edge of the city is bordered by a cliff face, it’ll provide a natural defense there. I can take the Black Lion out over the Eastern coast if needed, and run offense with incoming Galra cruisers. Otherwise I’ll help with the assault on the Western ridge,” Shiro adds.

“The Rebel fleet will back you up on that,” says one of the Rebel Commanders, Olia. She moves a number of orange Rebel icons into position across the map. “Should the Lions need to form Voltron, we’ll keep the city perimeter and airspace in check.”

“Hmm, another reason it’ll be good to have the Blades deployed in multiple places,” Hunk comments, “If we form Voltron, we’ll be leaving gaps in the defenses.”

“Which is why it’s important to do as much damage as possible upon entry,” Kolivan stresses. 

“Matt, what are the Galra’s outposts on Puig?” Katie asks, looking to her brother.

“There’s a few. Kolivan’s right to take out the artillery posts, and we should definitely hammer their base on the Western ridge, but there’s also watchtowers in the Northern canyon. They’ll be an obstacle for any forces north of the city if we don’t take care of them swiftly,” Matt explains.

“Sounds like a job for _Lancey-Lance,”_ the Blue Paladin grins, “Blue and I can head over with Shiro and the Rebels and then go knock the watchtowers out.”

Matt nods, highlighting the watchtowers on the map, where they zig-zag across the canyon, “There’s fifteen in all, and while they aren’t heavily fortified, they’re equipped with guns similar to those in the peaks to the west.”

“So easy pickings, but don’t get hit.”

“Exactly.”

“I got this,” Lance grins, making finger guns at the tiny holographic outposts.

Allura shakes her head with a chuckle, then turns her attention to Matt, “Do we know how much of the known Galran forces on Puig are aerial versus ground based?” 

“We do,” Matt answers, pulling up some statistics on the screen behind him, “Surprisingly, the dominant Galran force on Puig is ground based. Their cruisers aren’t as effective because of the canyons, and sending their fighters into said canyons is risky. It’s why there’s so many outposts.”

“So we could focus our aerial combat on using the canyons to our advantage,” Keith says, putting a hand to his chin. “The Voltron Lions are agile enough to do it, and Allura could easily pick them off in the Red Lion, but we don’t want them spread out so much for very long, especially if reinforcements arrive.”

Kolivan nods his silent approval beside Keith.

Matt frowns, “Unfortunately, our ships don’t have the handling required for maneuvering the canyons.”

“Typically, the Galran cruisers scramble their fighters at the start of a fight,” Coran positions some of the purple icons over the map, “when the Paladins launch from the Castleship, before they do anything else, they could herd the fighters into the canyons, crippling the Galran aerial capabilities.”

“Coran makes a good point,” Shiro adds, “and that way, while we get to our planned positions, the Rebels and Blades can sneak into the battlefield while the attention is on us. By the time Galra reinforcements arrive, everyone will be in position to fend them off.”

“If everything goes as planned, we may not even need to form Voltron,” Katie notes.

“Mmm, still, we don’t want to be overconfident,” Hunk cautions.

“All good concerns,” Olia says, “But details we can work out in the coming days.”

Kolivan nods, “Agreed. For now, we should contact Puig with confirmation.”

“We’ll have correspondence sent out by the end of the day,” Matt announces, “Unless anyone has any other ideas they’d like to discuss now, we can end the briefing and I’ll work on scheduling the next meeting.”

***

“What’s the verdict, Lance?” Keith asks, tucking into a roll to avoid an oncoming attack with gunfire rattling in the distance. He dodges another blow near his head, gritting his teeth as he rolls onto his back while the Galran soldier standing over him pulls back to strike again. Keith takes the opportunity to kick his opponent in the gut, launching the soldier away as he flips onto his feet.

“Not good. There’s a whole other base on the other side of the canyon that we didn’t know about. It looks half built,” Lance’s voice echoes inside Keith’s helmet as he crosses blades with the Galran again.

“That must be where all these reinforcements are coming from,” Keith growls. “Can you take it out?”

The soldier makes a move to deflect Keith’s sword with his own, but Keith flicks his wrist and his blade rolls underneath to carve deep into his opponent’s side. Keith withdraws and steps back as his opponent crumples, then hurries over to a wide crack in the rocky terrain.

“Not on my own, and not without endangering the village nearby,” Lance remarks.

Grumbling, Keith drops down into a small crevasse in the plateau, following the other soldier that had tried— and failed— to catch him in a surprise attack, and subsequently ran away. Keith can’t leave him unaccounted for.

“Any other news to brighten my day?” He grips the wall of the crevasse as an explosion shakes the ground.

“The villagers are escaping in the direction of the city.”

Keith curses, “Not what I wanted to hear.”

“Hey, don’t shoot the messenger,” Lance chides.

Keith spots his target up ahead, “Get someone to help you with the base. I gotta go,” he whispers.

“You got it. Stay safe down there.”

“Thanks.”

Keith moves his blade to his left hand, keeping his right along the wall of the crevasse as he creeps up on the unknowing soldier. _Nice and easy—_

He swings a leg out, knocking the enemy off balance, and as he stumbles to catch himself in surprise, Keith reaches around to grab the rim of the Galran’s gorget, twists him around, and drives his blade through his throat. Releasing his grip, Keith lets the soldier drop and hauls himself back up onto the plateau.

From his vantage point on the plateau, Keith can see the smoke and blaster fire decorating the terrain where the Rebel forces are holding the line of battle a bit farther north. They’d been caught in something of a stalemate ever since the troops from the Northern base had arrived. Lance recently knocked out of the last of the watchtowers, allowing the Coalition to make some headway in the absence of the artillery, though not much. 

Keith calls up a map on his mask interface, eyes searching for the other Blade operative in the badlands, Regris. His icon is about 1000 yards off, and closing in on the distant skirmish. A glance behind confirms that the city is well defended. After quickly scanning the nearby landscape for activity, he begins working his way across the sloping, craggy terrain, towards the rest of the battle.

***

The sight of massive green vines erupting from a Galran fighter draws a grin on Pidge’s features, and she pumps her fist excitedly.

“That’s the last of them, Allura,” she announces, arcing away from the castleship.

“Wonderful! You’re headed to the badlands now, correct?”

“That’s right. Lance requested some help with the surprise base.”

“Red and I are going to go look for stragglers in the canyons. Good luck, Katie.”

“Right back at you,” she says, dodging a stray laser blast, “I’ll see you later.”

Allura’s window closes on Katie’s dashboard, opening up her view of the badlands. Gunfire appears as blips of light over the ground as she nears the battle, where puffs of smoke and debris billow up every few seconds as ordnance explodes. She circles wide to gauge the situation. Bodies lay strewn across the terrain behind both sides of the line of battle, though the Rebels do seem to be making some headway. 

_That’s better than I’d estimated—_

“Ack!” she cries, as a hit to Green’s side jostles her. Katie swings her lion around to view her attackers— a pair of Galra fighters firing at her from a ways off. She grits her teeth.

“More of you, huh? Nuisances,” she grumbles and punches the controls. Green’s mouth cannon knocks out the first, but misses the second fighter by a split second. Pouring on speed, Katie gives chase when the fighter attempts to flee and shoots it down with Green’s tail laser.

“Keep that up and you might be as good of a shot as me,” Lance remarks over the commlink, face popping up on her dashboard.

Katie scoffs, “Is that so?” She can see the silhouette of the Blue Lion hovering out over the canyon.

“Maybe,” Lance smirks. “Are you here to help with the bonus base?” 

She guns the engines, quickly pulling up alongside the Blue Lion to observe the other side of the cliffs, “And if I am?”

“I was thinking your vine cannon would be a good way to avoid damaging the village. Or potentially defend it while I light the place up. Not sure yet.”

“I think we could go for both.”

“Yeah?” Lance raises an eyebrow. “Let’s do it, then,” he grins.

***

Keith watches the Green Lion fly overhead, toward the smoke rising on the horizon beyond the canyon to the north. The late afternoon sun glints off the bright metal, and coats the green color in an amber glow.

 _Back for round two._ Keith grins. The “surprise present” the Galra left them was on its last legs when Katie and Lance radioed in last. His eyes trail the Green Lion as Katie flies towards the smoldering base.

It makes him miss flying in the lions, just a little.

The Blade of Marmora is a better fit, though.

He stoops to pick up the imperial rifle at his feet, dropped by a soldier just moments prior.

Keith looks down into the ravine, his toes just over the edge as he empties the charge chamber of the gun with a satisfying _click_ and tosses the empty rifle down over the side.

Sliding the charge pack into a pouch on his belt, he picks his way across the rocky ground, following the battle. The front lines had shifted while he hunted down a pair of Galran snipers, though the Rebels seem to be getting more of an edge. An earlier flyby from Shiro cut down a swath of the Galran forces, which evened the odds somewhat.

His helmet comms crackle to life. “Hey Keith?” It’s Regris.

“What’s up?” He stops and ducks behind a rock, looking for his fellow blade’s icon on the map once more.

“Can you go check out hill 637? There’s some unusual activity there, and you’re closest.”

Keith orients himself with the map, looking across a nearby shallow valley to a craggy, gravelly hill, in the loosest sense of the word. Not the worst of the landscape by far, but certainly not the easiest. Keith grumbles under his breath.

“Right. That hill.”

“Good luck. Have fun.”

Keith can hear the grin in his voice. “Thanks.”

***

The taste of blood in his mouth is sharp, and oddly exhilarating. It keeps his mind alert despite the beginning signs of fatigue seeping into his limbs.

Keith twists around and plunges his sword into the belly of a Galran soldier approaching from behind. The soldier drops to his knees, and Keith turns the blade, forcing his fallen opponent to the ground. He pulls the weapon from the body and gives it a shake to clear it of the slick purple blood while adjusting his grip. He eyes the skirmish nearby, calculating the ebb and flow of battle. Determining where he’s needed next. He spits a gob of phlegm and blood onto the rocky ground and rubs it out with his toe, thinking.

He’d bit his cheek earlier. Quite badly too, but not severe enough to hinder him. He spits again, and turns to counter a blow on his right from another soldier who’d crawled up the incline he stood on.

Hill 637 had turned out to be an attempt by the Galra to set up support artillery. Keith had, however, successfully thwarted that endeavor. Now he’s cleaning up the mess.

Keith turns his wrist, pushing the opposing blade back, and leans in to grab the soldier’s collar. He knees his opponent’s middle, causing the soldier to loosen his grip enough for Keith to knock the Galran sword away, but not before his opponent catches his leg with a foot, pulling them into a grapple. He rolls to avoid the Galra’s fist, catching a glimpse of the Green Lion approaching the nearby valley in the process. He kicks his opponent off of him and jumps up, sword at the ready as the Green Lion zips by, toward the village on the other side of the canyon.

_Hadn’t she and Lance already finished off the additional base?_

The soldier moves to dive for his own weapon, but Keith cuts him off, and they return to trading blows.

***

Katie brings her Lion into a low approach, dipping down into one of the valleys of the Puigian badlands. It’s a straight-shot back to the village; she wants to make sure it’s clear of threats if the Puigians continue to evacuate despite the destruction of the nearby Galran base. It’s the least she can do, since telling them to stay in their village isn’t an option lest they flatten the place with the Blue Lion’s soundwaves.

She shudders. _Not a good idea._

Movement on the ground draws her eye, and Green opens her mouth, anticipating the need to fire.

“That looks like…” she mutters, zooming the cameras on the target.

_No, Greenie._

Katie curses, “They’re villagers.”

Green’s indistinct murmurs flit about her head.

“Better than the enemy. We’ll have to go down there, it’s not safe yet… But still, _ugh._ This was not the plan!”

Slowing down, Katie eases Green to rest on the valley floor and unbuckles in a rush. She runs towards the group of frightened Puigians, bayard drawn as a precaution.

“Hey!” she calls out, waving her empty hand. “You’ll be safer in the Green Lion, hurry!” She urges, beckoning them toward the Lion’s mouth while she scans the skies for Galran fighters. She meets the group halfway as they approach. There’s about seven people, looking at her a little slack-jawed, tugging children along with them. _Children._

“Is this all of you?” she asks one of the adults, glancing around to check for others. She throws a glance over her shoulder before running alongside the group.

“Yes, it’s just our family,” is the Puigian woman’s nervous reply.

Katie sets her shoulders, “Okay.” Nearby gunfire startles her and she energizes her bayard, eyeing the slopes around them. “Please hurry!” she yells. It’s not much farther. Backing up to her Lion, she checks the perimeter once more— _there. What’s that?_

There’s something in the rocks where she met the Puigians. Maybe something one of them dropped? It has to be— it’s green and purple, nothing at all like the rocks around it. Glancing at the sky, Katie darts out from under Green’s head, and stops just short of stepping on… a doll? She kneels down to pick it up, but freezes with her fingers hovering in place over the doll. A searing heat blooms in her back, tearing a shrill, agonizing scream from her lungs.

***

A sharp scream pierces the air, one that stands out among the cacophony of the battlefield, and demands Keith’s stunned attention as he turns to look for its source, his opponent temporarily forgotten. Something about the sound is… familiar. He scans the valley below, eyes widening as they land on the distinctive form of the Green Lion. A few yards away he spots Katie, and he blanches as another violet laser bolt hits her, and she crumples.

A scream— _her name?—_ rips through his throat. His gaze darkens as his attention flicks back to his opponent, and he stabs the soldier with his blade, plunges it deep and yanks it sideways. Keith drops the body, shoves his blade into its sheath, and runs down into the valley toward Katie. He vaults over a large rock in his way and slides down a loose, gravelly slope on the backside of the hill. A short distance from the bottom he slows his pace, and somewhat hop-jogs the rest of the way, small rocks tumbling and skittering down as his feet displace them. 

A spray of stray gunfire crosses his path and he jumps back, but loses his footing and slips and tumbles to the bottom. Sharp gravel pokes at him from all sides and grazes his cheek, but he jumps back up as soon as he manages to stop rolling, and rushes over to Katie. He spots a few Puigians hovering anxiously around the entrance to the Green Lion, protected by a green particle barrier. Keith deactivates his mask and nods at them, and they seem to relax a little. He returns his attention to the Green Paladin.

Katie’s form is slumped over herself, with her left hand plugged in the worst of the two wounds, slathered red with her blood. Her right hand cradles a doll made of patched fabric.

“Katie, Katie, hey. I’m here,” Keith says, voice laden with fear as he places a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Katie raises her head and blinks away a few tears. “...Keith,” she whispers, a faint smile pulling at her lips. It warps into a wince when she coughs, “We really need to upgrade our armor.”

“Let’s worry about that later. You need a healing pod,” Keith frowns, eyeing her condition. Both shots hit below her cuirass, where only her bodysuit protects her. He clicks his tongue in annoyance and shifts around her, positioning himself to pick her up. Katie’s tired gaze turns toward the doll.

“Those people… there’s children out here,” she whispers, squeezing her eyes shut as more tears drip from her face.

“They’re in the Green Lion. They’re safe now,” Keith affirms, wrapping an arm around her back as a brace. “May I?” he asks, gesturing at the doll with his free hand.

Katie’s fingers uncurl from around the doll, and her body relaxes against his arm as she nods. Keith tucks the doll away in a pouch on his belt, and turns his gaze back to her face. Her brows are knitted in discomfort, and her newly emptied hand makes a weak attempt to cover the other wound.

Keith hooks his other arm under her knees to better support her body. She screws her eyes shut and presses her face into his chest with a pained groan.

“Katie… you’re too kind. Please be a little kinder and stay alive for me,” he says quietly as he stands and lifts her up. Keith hurries back to the Lion, taking care not to jostle her despite the urgency that makes him want to sprint the short distance. The particle barrier drops before he has the chance to yell at the Lion to grant him access, and he hurries past the Puigians to get inside and into the cockpit. The Puigians situate themselves as best they can, and Keith is thankful that they try to stay out of his way.

“Green, take us back to the Castle of Lions, please. Katie needs immediate medical attention,” he instructs, worry in his voice. He turns away from the controls and moves to lay Katie down on the cot built into the wall, but as he approaches and the Puigians shuffle around to make room, Katie curls up tighter in his arms, sweat breaking out across her forehead. Keith’s browline dives down in concern and he looks to one of the Puigians, an older man with blue facial markings.

“In that drawer, can you get two of the gel packs inside? She needs it,” Keith explains, pointing with the toe of his boot. The Green Lion lurches into the sky, forcing Keith to adjust his footing with the now-sleeping paladin in his arms.

The Puigian is quick to agree, and hurries to get the needed objects while Keith sits down in the pilot’s chair, swiveling it around to face the Puigian… family, it seems.

Keith thanks the approaching Puigian man and takes the healing gel packs from him, carefully arranging them over Katie’s wounds. He can only hope it’s enough.

“She saved us,” the man offers a sad smile, “descended upon us like a guardian angel.”

“She is the shield,” Keith says softly, lifting a hand from the gel pack to brush some of her hair away from her face. His eyes linger on her for a moment, making sure she’s breathing, before darting up to the old man.

“Oh,” Keith reaches into a pouch on his belt and retrieves the doll Katie found, and holds it out to him, “she went back for this.”

The old man’s eyes widen, “Oh my, that belongs to my granddaughter,” he takes the doll graciously and turns to show it to one of the three children of the group. The little girl lights up at the sight and shuffles over to accept it. Her grandfather leans down to whisper something in her ear, and she in turn shuffles towards Keith and Katie. Keith watches the girl hug the doll close to her chest and bow before stepping up to Katie, where she presses a delicate kiss to the Green Paladin’s cheek.

“Thank you,” she says in a child’s whisper, then lifts her eyes up to Keith with a sweet smile before her grandfather ushers her away.

The grandfather then bows as well, “I pray that she recovers quickly. Thank you.”

Keith watches the old man turn away, walking back to sit with his family. He eyes them for a moment, and the little girl playing with her doll, and the thought of how much the Green Paladin had done for just a few people stirs up… unusual… emotions.

Keith hangs his head and hugs Katie closer as she shudders from the pain, a near-silent whisper on his lips.

“You’re too good for me.”

***

The Puigian sunset bathes the planet in fiery hues while the victorious Coalition forces bustle around the Castle of Lions’ landing site, working to unpack and distribute relief supplies before nightfall. Setting down the box in his arms, Keith retrieves the buzzing communicator from his belt and puts it up to his ear.

“Hunk, what’s up?” he asks, hoping to hear something good. He uses his free hand to pry open the clasp on the box.

“Hi Keith,” Hunk greets cheerily, “Katie’s about done in the healing pod.”

Keith lets out a sigh of relief, “Great. I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Awesome, she’ll be happy to see you.” 

Keith shuts off the communicator and pockets it, turning around to search for Kolivan. The Blade leader is easy to find, towering over most everyone else nearby. Keith gestures toward the castleship when they make eye contact. 

Kolivan nods.

Keith waves back at him, and pushes the box he’d opened in line with the one beneath it, then hurriedly picks his way through the people and boxes of supplies strewn about.

The Castle of Lions isn’t far from the Blade’s ship, and he makes good time; it hasn’t been so long since he was a paladin that he would have forgotten the ship’s layout.

The medbay is more crowded than usual with Rebels occupying many of the healing pods and beds, or running back and forth to help out. Keith spots Hunk digging through a cabinet at the other end of the room and jogs over to him.

“Hey man,” Hunk waves to Keith as he approaches.

“Hey,” Keith greets. He fishes the communicator from his belt and holds it out to the Yellow Paladin, “Thanks for letting me know.”

Hunk takes the device and slips it into his pocket, “No problem. The pod released her a tad bit early, since we’ve got so many people that need it. You just missed the others. Coran got her set up in a bed for the night, but she’s doing well,” he explains and gestures to one of the nearby stations. “She’ll be back to normal by morning.”

Keith nods, “Alright. See you later.”

“You too,” Hunk smiles and Keith turns away with a wave. In about ten steps he arrives at Katie’s station to see her sitting up in bed with a tablet in her hands. She looks up when she hears his footsteps.

“Keith!” she exclaims, “I’m glad to see you!” She sets down the tablet and switches her focus to him, amber eyes bright with excitement.

Hours ago, he’d worried he wouldn’t see them again.

“Me too.” There’s a chair near the bed, but he doesn’t sit down. “I’m just glad you’re ok.” _Alive._ “How are you feeling?”

She huffs a sigh and stretches, “Sore like you wouldn’t believe, but I’m in one piece,” she lets her arms drop down to her lap. “Thanks to you.”

Keith smiles, “I did say you can’t leave. The universe needs you.” 

_I think, maybe… I need you._

Katie snorts, laughter shaking her shoulders. “You dork,” she grins. “Wow that was so long ago, wasn’t it? Almost two years now,” she adds, a little bit of wistfulness in her voice.

“Yeah, almost. I’m glad you stuck around.”

_It wouldn’t be the same without you._

“I’m glad, too,” she smiles softly, reaching out to grab his hand. “But seriously, thanks for stopping by, and for coming to help me. Sore and tired… it’s a whole lot better than dead. So thank you.”

Keith’s fingers curl around hers, and he can’t help but return the smile. “Of course, Katie.”

**Author's Note:**

> Sometimes I wonder if I'm holding a contest with myself to see how many awful tags I can use in one fic, LOL. (this is not the case but... 'tis funny).  
> Some notes:  
> -So in this AU the team does get flung across the universe by a corrupted wormhole, but not bc they were hunting Zarkon. Here, they were tracking down Haggar's robeast creation station to stop the endless supply of monsters. While the mission is successful, Haggar corrupts the wormhole when they leave and then everyone gets flung across the universe, like in the show. (in the timeline, this is known as "Haggar's Funky Warp Party")  
> -Shiro goes missing at timestamp 1.1, and remains missing until 1.5. During this time Keith is the Black Paladin. Why Shiro goes missing is probably a little different than in the show, likely still a run in with Zarkon after being followed, but rather than getting thrown into Haggar's clone program, the Black Lion teleports him away, like the popular theory from a while back. Or maybe she sucks him into the Astral plane for a while and spits him out somewhere random. IDK. Ultimately this has no impact on later events as Shiro returns, rather disheveled, but otherwise fine.  
> -The Paladins find Ulaz at 1.6, a month after Shiro returns. Since the robeast creation station was destroyed Ulaz may or may not still be alive (I've just realized this. Hm.) bc it's possible Haggar still had some or had an auxiliary station. Anyway. Keith joins the Blade of Marmora at 1.7.  
> -Keith's realization that he might, yes, in fact, love Katie, does not sink in for a month or two. And he doesn't do anything about it for six months after this fic. At which point, as noted in my timeline, "Kidge Begins" :3. I might write a short fic on how that goes down, if you guys are interested?


End file.
